Bright straw-yellow colour with light golden glints in the glass. This wine is tight, light and slender in presentation with aromas of savoury white and yellow stonefruits, along with nuances of nuts and minerals. Dryish to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is light and elegantly slender in proportion with flavours of white stonefruits, herbs, florals and a suggestion of honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is soft-textured, rounded and smooth, with integrated acidity. The wine has an elegant core and line that leads to a fine-textured, soft finish of stonefruits and florals. This is a light, soft-textured, smooth-flowing dryish Pinot Gris with subtle stonefruit and floral flavours.

The 2016 Vintage in the Upper Wairau was one of the best in the last decade. Warm daytime temperatures, tempered by cool nights, provided the ideal conditions for creating intense flavours while retaining fine acidity and elegance in the wines. As a result of these conditions, the flavour profiles tended more towards ripe and luscious with exceptional aromatics. Picking commenced the first week of April. The fruit was harvested at maximum flavour as assessed through frequent tasting in the vineyard by our winemaker - for Pinot Gris this occurs late in the ripening process. It was very gently pressed to avoid harsh phenolic extraction and the juice allowed to cold settle. The clear juice was fermented at low temperatures using yeast renowned for their ability to enhance the Pinot Gris aromas. A balanced amount of residual sugar was left in the wine to complement the palate weight and structure.